Former top cop and Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has issued a highly public, almost personal appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging his direct intervention as Delhi’s air quality continues to choke the National Capital Region. The appeal came on a day when the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 369, firmly in the ‘very poor’ category, continuing a two-week-long battle with hazardous air.
The Plea: Replicating the ‘Zoom Session’ Model
Bedi took to X, making an emotional opening that acknowledged the exceptional nature of her request: “Sir please forgive me for pleading again.”
Also read: No Samsungs, Only iPhones: Why London Phone Thieves Have Their Priorities Set
The core of her argument is simple: the pollution crisis is fundamentally a coordination and enforcement issue across multiple states. She believes it needs the highest level of political clout to fix.
-
The Blueprint: Bedi referenced her time in Puducherry, recalling Modi’s “very effective Zoom sessions” where he pushed officials to “deliver and perform time bound” on national challenges.
-
The Proposal: She urged the PM to hold similar, fixed, monthly virtual meetings with the Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries of Delhi’s neighboring states (like Haryana, Punjab, UP) to take stock of progress in tackling pollution.
Also read: No Samsungs, Only iPhones: Why London Phone Thieves Have Their Priorities Set
The logic is that this regular, high-level oversight would create accountability that the current administrative commissions lack. It would “give us hope because we will know it’s under your oversight.”
The Political and Public Call
Bedi’s message wasn’t just administrative; it was political and a direct call to the public, too.
-
The ‘Mann Ki Baat’ Angle: She also urged the Prime Minister to use his highly influential Mann Ki Baat radio address to appeal directly to all age groups and sections of the society. The goal? To make citizens understand their role in pollution control.
-
The “Double Engine” Dig: Bedi wrapped up her appeal with a pointed political reference, saying Delhi was “waiting for a ‘double engine’ in this respect too, to undo the damage done last 10 years.” This invoked the BJP’s election-time promise of cohesive governance between the state and the Centre.
The reality on the ground is grim: the AQI is forecast to remain ‘very poor’ throughout the coming week, and Bedi herself has repeatedly used her social media platform to stress that pollution is not accidental, but the “outcome of decades without true coordination in governance.”
Also read: No Samsungs, Only iPhones: Why London Phone Thieves Have Their Priorities Set
End…..
